Exclusive: Christopher Haase on fighting Verstappen at Nürburgring, being an Audi loyalist and more!
- Owen Bradley
- Jun 25
- 13 min read
Christopher Haase is one of the most experienced GT3 drivers in the world, having raced in various different GT championships across the world. Earlier in the year, Haase made headlines when he duelled Formula One champion, Max Verstappen, in NLS2 at the Nürburgring.
In this exclusive interview with the German GT legend, DIVEBOMB's Owen Bradley sat down with Haase to discuss a variety of topics, including the battle with Verstappen, offers to drive in other championships and racing with Audi machinery.
Speaking about his start to the 2026 season, Haase stated: "My year so far, I think has been quite okay. Very successful start to my year with the 24 Hours of Dubai, where I drove the BMW with Team WRT. We finished in second place there. Then I went to Bathurst, was driving there for the Jamec/MPC which were running Audi's. We finished fifth, but were in the running for the podium, so quite strong."
He added: "In the GT World Challenge, it's a new chapter for Eastalent Racing. We were quite competitive in Paul Ricard, in Qualifying we were competitive but in the race we were lacking pace to the others, but we still had a fast Audi. But to the other manufacturers, we were just lacking speed. In Brands Hatch, we didn't have such a great weekend. So far I'm quite happy. Also the Nürburgring 24 Hours is my highlight of the year so far!"
In the build-up to the Nürburgring 24 Hours, at NLS2, Haase battled F1 champion Max Verstappen intensely, with the pair going side-by-side several times. This moment between Haase and Verstappen was seen by millions around the world, with their battling circulating on social media at the time.
Unfortunately for the German, their battle was cut slightly short, with both cars diving into the pit lane mere seconds after Verstappen had re-overtaken Haase into the final sequence of corners.
Speaking about his battle with Verstappen, and if he would be open to fighting the Dutchman again, Haase revealed: "I definitely would like to fight with him again! I never really thought about driving with him or fighting him on track, I knew he was taking part, but I never had it in my mind thinking about how should I react, how should I meet him, what is it like. I focused more on myself."
He continued: "At the first NLS2 race where we were both in the first row, he was on pole and I was in second - I was actually so angry because I was second. I knew we had the car for pole position and we just had too little fuel, and I couldn't finish the lap which is why I couldn't improve my lap time. I was so angry about that situation!
"In the front row, I realised there were so many people, which for me is different because obviously he is in the spotlight. After the race start, our car had really good pace, we were fighting and I had the chance to overtake him. I was fighting him like how I've fought every competitor in the past, but I have to say, I was surprised at how strong he was, in what was his second race in a GT3 at the Nürburgring."
Haase added: "I already saw on the formation lap when he was warming up his tyres, you can feel how good someone is and I realised that this race wasn't going to be easy! That's the only time where I really thought about the situation, but when you fight for yourself, you don't think about who the other driver is, it doesn't matter because you are fighting for yourself and you want to be in front. If it's for first of fifth, it doesn't matter, the only thing that matters is to be ahead!"
Whilst Verstappen significantly boosted the attendance and viewing figures of the Nürburgring 24 Hours, the Dutchman is not the first huge star to join a GT grid in the modern era, or even the first active F1 driver to join a GT World Challenge event in 2026.
The GTWC Europe saw Aston Martin F1 driver, Lance Stroll, compete at the first race of the season, driving alongside former F1 driver Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya. Unfortunately for the Canadian, his GTWC debut did not go well, with the squad finishing 12 laps down after picking up a multitude of different penalties.
Even MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi is in the fray, racing with Team WRT since 2022, and taking three victories in his home race in Misano during that period.
When asked why more motorsport stars are interested by GT racing, Haase responded: "The GT3 business, many people said a few years ago, 'this is going down', but it's actually the opposite, it is growing like never before! It is a very hard business. We have people here like Valentino Rossi which helps a lot to get the attention from more spectators, which is helping. It's such a great sport, when you look at it, because the competition is so high."
He added: "If you watch F1, which is the highest level, the gap between first and last can be huge, whereas here at places like Monza in qualifying, you can have 40 cars within one second! This competition, you won't find anywhere else. I always say, when you finish in the Top 10 in the GT World Challenge, you are actually very good, because you have to beat so many teams and so many good line-ups with good drivers."
He continued: "In the GT business there is also more drivers, which takes the spotlight slightly off every person, and this makes it a really strong team business. I feel like, in motorsport, this is different to F1 and single seaters. There is a level of respect for every team and every driver, which even from the outside, is good to see, not everything is just on one person like in single seaters. It's on the team, the line-up and the car. I think drivers like that."
Despite Haase racing with Audi machinery for almost the entirety of his racing career, the German has branched out from time to time, testing other manufacturers' cars. The 38-year old drove a BMW earlier this season and secured a strong podium finish at the Dubai 24-Hour.
Versatility and adaptability are two key skills for racing drivers, and Haase was able to put his skills to the test in Dubai. Stepping behind the wheel of a different car poses several challenges, with different settings, different aerodynamics and also a different engine position, which subsequently affects the weight distribution of the car.
Since the end of 2024, Haase has also worked with several different Audi customer teams, given that he is somewhat of an Audi machinery specialist.
Speaking about adapting to different team dynamics and different manufacturers, Haase revealed: "For most of my career I have driven with Audi's, but in terms of the customer racing, the Audi customer support has been so strong that for me as a driver - it's been quite easy to adapt to every team in every environment, every race, so it's not been difficult to be honest."
He added: "For me, it was the first time being in a BMW in a long time, obviously it's a challenge for you as a driver, but at the end of the day it's a GT3 car. It takes a couple of laps for me to understand how I have to drive this specific car, the BMW has a front engine whereas I am used to a car having a mid engine.
"But in the race, after my first stint, I was like, it's okay - that's it. Also, the team helped me a lot with adapting and understanding the car in the right way, so it was actually not that difficult. You have to be open-minded and you have to work on it, and then you will be just fine."
Audi have historically dominated various proceedings in GT championships and cups around the world, with the German manufacturer's R8 LMS GT3 proving to be fast on the straights and quick in the corners.
The Audi has often been credited with being more consistent to drive, striking a strong balance across a variety of different circuits, especially in comparison to other manufacturers, that often end up sacrificing more straight line speed for cornering, or vice versa.
Talking about Audi and what drew him to the brand, Haase said: "When I started my career, I started with partners which have sponsored me, and I started with Reiter Engineering, who were building the Lamborghini Gallardo GT3, which was a mid-engine car. When my career started, Audi was building the Audi R8 LMS GT3, so there was kind of a connection. I was at the right spot at the right time, and I had the chance to get a factory drive with Audi Sport, and from that moment on I was always a driver, and I am still now a driver."
He continued: "When I feel positive in a relationship, I prefer to stick where I'm comfortable, and I felt over the past few years very comfortable in Audi Sport, in that environment, in this philosophy. Obviously they stopped the programme in 2024, which was not great, it's very sad. But I still know so many people from Audi, so I feel comfortable and I still think you can do very well.
"I know that maybe I'll have to change, to somewhere else, to another car, but I'm not a driver which is looking at the end of each year for a different drive. I could have done that in my factory Audi years, but when you are comfortable, why should you change? Not everything is about money!"
The German was released by Audi as a factory driver at the end of the 2024 season, with the German outfit opting to shift efforts and attention to their Formula One project.
Speaking about this, Haase revealed: "To be honest, it didn't come up suddenly. I had a feeling two years before that it's going down, people are looking at bills and stuff like that, so I knew that maybe it was not a good time. When it stopped, for me, it was not a surprise, to be honest."
He continued: "I know how they stopped the other programmes and it was kind of similar. On the other hand, I knew it was not great for myself, for my career and for the teammates I had and for the teams themselves. I think they did it in a polite way, they treated us well and informed us. They always help us, even now, even though I'm not related to them anymore - if I call someone, they'll pick up, so there's still something there!"
The German built a long-lasting partnership with Audi over a decade and a half, and achieved a lot of success with the German brand. Haase won the FIA GT3 European championship with Audi for the first time in 2009, which is currently known as the GT World Challenge Europe, and went on to win at the Nürburgring 24 Hours with the team in 2012.
Alongside his Nürburgring victory in 2012, he also secured a championship victory in the Blancpain GT Endurance series with Team WRT and Audi.
Speaking about his career story and how he maintained his relationship with Audi for so long, Haase stated: "I think it's like a relationship with a girl! When you are honest, when you respect each other, when you reflect, when you want to improve things, it works. I always have the mentality that, I want to make things better.
"You can sometimes be too aggressive, wanting to make things better, but sometimes not aggressive enough, so I think you have to find the sweet spot where you can try to make things better, in a softer way, this is important for manufacturers I believe."
He added: "You need to be constructively critical. With customer racing, if you only focus on trying to become a factory driver, you won't be successful with customer racing, and if you only think with a customer mindset, you won't be successful in a factory drive. You need to accept both mentalities and bring it together.
"This means you have to accept some things which aren't the end of the world and you shouldn't complain about them. It's a thin line between them and it makes it challenging to survive in this bubble, but I feel that I've managed this quite okay. I've done mistakes in my career, everybody makes mistakes, but it depends on how you manage your mistakes."
The 38-year old has now been racing in this championship for almost two decades. In that time, the championship has undergone significant changes across the board. Now known as the GT World Challenge Europe, the entire SRO and GTWC world are more connected than ever.
This rebrand has helped the GTWC massively, with the series gaining serious momentum in the 2020's, coinciding with the overall modern Sportscar 'golden age' that many people are calling this decade.
Haase himself has been in the paddock since the late 2000's, and has subsequently seen the contrast and changes from when the series was in it's infancy, compared to where it is today, drawing in huge crowds and huge names.
Speaking about the evolution of the GTWC and himself as a driver during this period, Haase revealed: "I started with the FIA GT3 European Championship back in 2009, and then they developed this championship into the Blancpain GT Series back in 2012. In 2026, I have to say, what Stephane Ratel is doing and the SRO Group, all the people he has, they're always looking to get better, to get more professional, to respect every customer, every driver in every class."
He added: "We have teams operating at different levels, and I think we need that for the sport, I think he's managing this in the best possible way and it's improving every year. I've grown in this series and seen so much improvement. It's not always gone in the right direction, but most of the time it's gone in the right direction and I think that's what makes this series and the SRO so strong, because they respect everybody.
"As a driver, I developed a lot in this series, the competition gets stronger, so you have to be stronger. You see different teams, and it makes the team stronger. I always try to learn, now that I'm 38, I always try to learn and learn. If you accept it, this makes you stronger every year, and I feel stronger than ever before at 38, so it never stops!"
With Haase racing in different championships and across multiple seasons, as a result, he has worked with a variety of different drivers to be on the same team. Some drivers therefore start out as rivals on the track, but end up becoming teammates in a different race event or potentially years later.
This team dynamic is something you can only see in Endurance racing, and it therefore presents a unique challenge for the drivers.
When asked what challenges this situation can bring, Haase stated: "The best situation is where you can stick together for a long time. With what I've experienced, when you change teammates, it can feel like you start from zero, or start a little further behind. This is not great, the target has to be to stick together if it suits everybody, you have to stick together and then go forward."
He added: "When you are on track and you have the helmet on, you fight for yourself. I'm not asking my team 'who is driving the car?' as that doesn't matter for me, I just fight for myself. If someone is driving hard and fair, I appreciate that and I will go with it. If someone is driving dirty, you should expect it the other way around. That's how it is."
The 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours set up an intense battle among multiple different teams and manufacturers, with Haase and the No.16 Scherer Sport Audi squad included. Unfortunately for the German, the Audi squad were forced to retire after terminal damage.
The last time Haase won at the Nürburgring 24 Hours was in 2014, driving for Phoenix Racing, who were running an Audi R8 LMS Ultra.
Speaking about races he would like to win, Haase revealed: "I would definitely like to win Spa and Nurburgring again, I want that so bad! Some others, I would like to win Bathurst, Daytona and Le Mans. These are the races which I would really like to win."
The German has already secured multiple victories across some of those races, winning the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in 2017 alongside teammates Markus Winklehock and Jules Gounon. The trio are still the last drivers to win the iconic race in Audi machinery.
Speaking about the highlight of his extensive career so far, Haase revealed: "The highlight of my career is definitely the win at Spa in 2017, because it was such a tough race. Winklehock and I did so many stints in that race, and it was a race which wasn't really going our way in the beginning, but towards the end we thought 'we can win this!' It was emotional, a very tough race, super hot and it was just a crazy race - definitely my highlight so far."
A 24-hour endurance event can take drivers to their limits, with the drivers expected to stay fast and focused across multiple, hours-long stints across the night, and across difficult and testing conditions.
The adrenaline and energy that a driver expends over the course of a 24-hour race can be harsh. Occasionally, drivers will start a race in the early afternoon on a Saturday, and can then be next back in the car during the night time. This can pose a great challenge to competitors, as they need to frequently refresh and recharge themselves before every stint, whilst also keeping up to date with the race and any changes made to the car.
Speaking about this fierce challenge, Haase said: "I try not to think about it. Doing the race, it's not really a problem because you do your stint, jump out of the car and then I don't care what happens in the race, I'm just going to care for myself, try to calm down."
He continued: "About one or two hours before a race, I'm not very motivated to have a lot of action, like media or speaking to people - that's a moment where I would prefer to just have some time for myself, this helps me a lot. If I have to go around, run around doing different things, then I feel like I'm wasting energy which I need for the race!"
Whilst Haase has spent his career racing GT3 machinery against some of the worlds greatest drivers, some other drivers in Sportscar racing have had opportunities to go and race in championships such as the World Endurance Championship or the IMSA championship, with Hypercar or GTP machinery.
For many young drivers rising through the ranks, such as Arthur Leclerc and Dan Harper, they see a Hypercar drive in the WEC, particularly at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, to be the pinnacle of Sportscar racing. However, across a career with various accolades in GT racing, Haase has remained a GT racing loyalist.
When asked if he ever had a chance or a contract offer to join another championship or race with Prototypes, Haase responded: "There were possibilities and offers, but not in a way where I was able to manage it. I had some options where I could have driven for free, which was a long time ago, but this has been in a shoot-out programme. But I didn't participate because I was too busy with other business.
He continued: "I pay my bills by living in this sport, so let's say, I couldn't maybe afford to go to the prototypes. I always wanted to do it, but I never had the sponsor package to make that next step. Then I decided by myself to stick where I am and try to be successful here. So far, it's worked!"
Multiple GT championships, an iconic duel with an F1 champion, a loyal Audi driver and an incredibly hard-working driver, Christopher Haase has been one of the most successful and competitive drivers that GT racing has ever seen.
Haase is racing this weekend at the iconic 24 Hours of Spa, an event which he won back in 2017.
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